Important Issues Facing America

Floor Speech

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Mr. CLINE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for hosting this Special Order and for his leadership.

Madam Speaker, I want to talk about a subject that is in the news right now: the crisis that has been created by this administration on the border and the intentional encouragement of millions of migrants to make a dangerous journey from across the globe to the United States. Crossing the border illegally, often seeking a better life, but declaring asylum when they have crossed the border illegally is not the solution.

Yesterday, we had a vote to impeach Secretary Mayorkas. That vote failed by a single vote. I thank the gentleman for his leadership in switching his vote to be with the prevailing side, so that he can perform the parliamentary maneuver and bring it back for a vote when we do have all of the supporters of impeachment in the House Chamber ready to vote. Hopefully, we will see that next week.

Madam Speaker, for over 2 years, the Biden administration has stood by their policies and watched as the worst border crisis in history continues to worsen. The results of these open-border policies speak for themselves. There have been over 1 million illegal migrant encounters since October, including 302,000 in December alone and 19 individuals on the terrorist watch list.

These policies have fueled a national fentanyl epidemic, put more money in the hands of cartels and human traffickers, opened the border to national security threats, and prevented ICE from deporting most of those here illegally, even convicted violent criminals and gang members.

What is extremely tragic about this crisis that we find ourselves in today is that most of this could have been prevented. The Biden administration assumed office with strong border security policies in place, and, yet, instead of taking responsibility and maintaining sound policies that would fix these issues and enforce our immigration laws, President Biden and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, dismantled our border security.

We have given this administration all the tools that they need to do their job and secure the border. There are laws on the books that basically spell out exactly how to secure the border, how to detain those coming across the border illegally, and how to prevent those from coming across the border illegally, but this administration has actively worked to find every loophole and do just the opposite.

We, all 435 Members of this body, swore to defend the Constitution, yet the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, who took a similar oath, has the audacity to come before Congress, the Judiciary Committee on which I am proud to serve, and lie under oath saying that we have operational control of the border. Secretary Mayorkas has the audacity to neglect his oath to safeguard the American people and our community, and this body must hold him accountable.

It is our duty to hold those accountable who neglect their duty, regardless of their position. Secretary Mayorkas has purposely and knowingly disregarded the rights and security of this country's citizens and failed in his responsibility to protect our homeland.

The American people rightfully deserve action. It is imperative that we, as Representatives of the people, ensure that those in positions of power are held to the highest standards of accountability. That is why I will continue to fight on behalf of my constituents, whom I am proud to serve every day, to continue to ensure their safety and hold Alejandro Mayorkas accountable for his dereliction of duty.

It is long past time we restore our Nation's rule of law and sovereignty. We must impeach Secretary Mayorkas, and it is my hope that we do so next week. The American people deserve better.

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